from berlin. a second of death and destruction, with strong condemnation from the united nations. the israeli military continues to pound gaza, as international pressure for a cease-fire grows. israel says the campaign will continue. hamas has threatened to target tel aviv with rocket fire. also coming up tonight, south africa ramps up its covid-19 vaccination drive. the country, with africa's

highest coronavirus caseload, is hoping to ward off a third wave of infections. and in england you can enjoy a point indoors, hug loved ones come and visit friends at home again. but the easing is being accompanied by worries about a highly contagious coronavirus variant. ♪ i'm brent goff. to our viewers watching on pbs, in the united states, and around the world, welcome. calls are growing for an end to the violence in the middle east. israel has destroyed tunnels used by hamas. rockets continue to be fired at israel from hamas. presidt biden, speaking to benjamin and yahoo! about

the situation tonight -- benjamin netanyahu about the situation tonight. demanding israel cease its attacks. reporter: the aftermath of israel's latest airstrikes on gaza. residents are left picking through the rubble that used to be their homes. they say the attacks were the most ferocious yet. >> i will certainly scared. especially the children. we feared they would be wounded and die or be buried under the rubble. reporter: israel says it is aiming to destroy terrorist infrastructure and is targetin militants. the army later released footage it says sws u trickto killing a senior palestinian militant commander. israel's jets also targeted an underground network of tunnels used by the militants in the early morning raid. a residential complex, hit by a

hamas rocket. hamas has kept up the barrage in southern israel. not all missiles are intercepted by defenses. as the bombs keep falling, the international community's becoming increasingly alarmed. the u.s. says it is working to defuse the situation. >> the u.s. remains greatly concerned by the violence, the escalating violence. hundreds of people killed or injured, including children being pulled from the rubble. we will continue to conduct a test of diplomacy to bring this violence to an end. reporter: but as the killing continues, violence and loss for these children in gaza. brent: to find out more about the situation i want to bring in they spokeswoman of the international committee of the red cross in gaza. we understand sunday was

the deadliest day since the airstrikes began a week ago. what can you tell us about the humanitarian situation on the ground tonight there? >> good evening, and thank you for this opportunity. gaza's been passing through extremely dangerous escalation for years. rockets hit israeli cities, including big cities. airstrikes are continuing the whole day and night. it's become a nightmare for the gaza population. especially for children, a father told me his children refused to go to the toilet in the night without accompaniment and a mother told me she

received questions from her eight-year-old daughter, asking, is it possible that the conflict can die in an airstrike? these are terminologies that children are growing with. it is impacting future. not only their present. in a larger picture -- brent: i was going to ask you, what about getting humanitarian aid to the people in gaza? is israel allowing humanitarian corridors? >> for the time being,he needs are imminent. it is a huge need. the infrastructure has been massively impacted. and the health needs are extremely great. in the international community, we managed to help gaza hospitals with medical items,

enough to treat 150 seriously injured people. we also supported the palestinians with medical items and service providers, water, electra city services -- electricity services, water. we know coronavirus is still there. gaza has been hit hardly by the virus. a second wave a couple of weeks ago. having more than 40,000 displaced people going to schools or other places. with the nature of the virus, it's contagious. for the humanitarian aid, for the time being, the crossings of gaza are closed. brent: what about the 40,000 palestinians you mentioned? the people who have been

displaced in this fighting? we know the gaza strip is densely populated. where are these 40,000 people going? >> for the time being, they are at shelters and schools. they are dealing with these displaced people. there are also other people who fled to the palestine society. they are helping them with food items and hygiene items. other displaced, the number is estimated to be higher than this, according to the officials and the gaza strip, -- in the gaza strip, saying people are seeking shelter with extended family homes and other places. brent: we appreciate your time and taking the time to talk with

us tonight. we know i's a difficult time. thank you. earlier, our jerusalem correspondent give us an update on the situation on the israeli side. reporter: there are incoming rockets in the south of israel. we have seen this over the course of the evening. they come in smaller barrages, they come in waves. on the political level, there are a lot of strong suprters, there's lot of strong support of the moment -- at the moment. we are hearing from the southern communities under rocket attacks in the past days. the concept rocket attacks. supporting a continuing of the military campaign against hamas. -- continuing rocket attacks. that is in line with the political statement we heard from print minister netanyahu and e defense minister, benny ntz, they think they should

continue this operion and they think, thestill have the support of the international community, despite the fact that there is mounting pressure because of whate just heard, the humanitarian situation deteriorating in gaza. brent: we know calls for a cease-fire are growing internationally. what can you tell us about the medic efforts underway? is it working at all in israel? >> wl, there are still conflicting reports. we have nothing really for sure we can tell you. we know conversations are ongoing. we understand from reports that u.n. -- that the.n. special envoy is tking to both sides. egypt is involved in this, as they have done in previous runs of hostility. but at the moment, there's no tangible idea. there are serious talks about proposals that might be on the table, and whether both sides are prepared to go for a cease-fire anytime soon.

brent: the latest tonight in jerusalem. tanya, thank you. dw spoke today with israel's ambassador to germany. we asked him about the israeli military bombing a tower housing media organizations in gaza over the weekend and whether that attack was meant to silence those who report on the situation on the ground. >> to the best of my knowledge, no. everything i can see on television on the other stations, i don't think there's any lack of coverage. we wouldn't do that in order to stop coverage. we have very clear information about the facilities that were serving hamas in terms of their intelligence capabilities, their cyber capabilities and very particular equipment. i'm pretty sure that everyone realizes -- not everyone realizes th extent -- the

extent hamas embeds itself in the publishing to have a human shield. -- in the population to have a human shield. what they did was noess of a war crime then fighting and shooting against the israeli civilians in israel. brent: we also asked the ambassador about pro-palestinian demonstrations here over the weekend which included anti-semitic rhetoric. we estimate he feels the german government is doing enough to fight these incidents. >> i think first of all, i've spoken to some of the initial incidents of concern, where i spoke to the prime minister of the state of westphalia, he was very concerned about it. he assured me they would do all of their power to prevent it. other senior security officials spoke to me, and also assured me

they will do all in their power. some of these things, fighting against jewish communities, confronting them, attacking synagogues, burning israeli flags -- it's one thing to have a peaceful demonstration, another thing to have these kinds of acts, which really, the jewish community in germany has nothing to do with the crisis going on in gaza. they are deserving of living like any other community in germany, and security. and based on what i've heard, -- in peace and security. and based on what i've heard, from what i've heard from the minister of interior, who came out against these attacks and said we will use all in our power to stop these types of anti-semitic attacks. so, from that point of view, i feel the german authorities will do all they can to prevent it. brent: was israel's ambassador

to germany. here are some of the other stories making headlines from around the world. 14 people have been killed in india after a powerful cyclone and the west coast. more than 200,000 people have been evacuated. the cyclone comes at a time when india is already reeling from a surgeon coronavirus cases. hong kong media tycoon and pro-democracy camp eney relay has pleaded guilty to taking part in an uuthorized protest into thousand 19. -- in 2019. halting trading of shares after authorities froze his assets under the territory's national security law that sparked new concerns about rest freedom in hong kong -- press freedom in hong kong. migrants have illegally entered spain's enclave by swimming from neighboring morocco. that's one of two populated spanish regions on mainland africa. a popular arrival point for

migrants hoping to start a new life in europe. south africa's former president is in court for the start of a trial in a bribery case dating back 20 years. the case has been postponed numerous times over the years. he is facing 16 charges of fraud and racketeering. south africa has begun vaccinating citizens over the age of 16. the highest number of coronavirus cases, and south africa, but it's only inoculated 1% of his populations. there are only 87 x nation centers across the entire country. reporter: it is the day she has been waiting for for a long time. as a diabetic, the pandemic changed her life and forced the 65-year-old to avoid contact with friends and family. >> i need to get the vaccine

because of my chronic condition, and i can't wait to get it. i'm a little anxious. but i'm glad i'm here. it's been very difficult, i've lost my brother to covid. it's just been a difficult time for all of us. reporter: the government aims to inoculate more than 5 million senior citizens by late june, if enough vaccine doses are supplied. although south africa ordered vaccines for 75% of the population, only a fraction arrived in the country. some nations are debatingbout vaccinating children come about south africa, people with comorbidities --, but in south africa, people with comorbidities do not know when they will be able to get their jab. >> we should be ahead of where we are right now. the administration of vaccines has been way too slow and south africa. it's been very difficult. a lot of countries trying to procure.

its been part of my letters to international markets. with notice you've procured more than enough vaccine for each citizen. you need to help us out. reporter: politicians have been calling for local vaccine production. but so far, no single vaccine in south africa's produce from scratch. only a few distribution agreements were made for covid-19 vaccines. despite worldwide calls for a waiver of intellectual property rights for covid-19 vaccines, leading pharmaceutical companies say this will not have an impact in the short term. >> our country is trying to develop an interest -- [indiscernible] if my mother builds a chocolate cake, my sister who learned from my mom does the same, but my

mama still the best. -- but my mom still does it best. there's nothing like the original recipe book. we've experienced that with populations we've had. [indiscernible] on the job under standard operation procedure. reporter: in the meantime, she is finally getting her first shot of the biontech-pfizer vaccine. with it, hope for the future. >> it's been difficult for families. especially for us. it's been tough. i look forward to the change. iook forward to being together again with everybody. loving again. reporter: but as she and others here know, it will be a long time before life can return to normal. after four months of low infection rates, the numbers of

new cases have been increasing the past few days. a third wave of infections seems inevitable. brent: these are the other major developments in the coronavirus pandemic. india has reported more than 280,000 new coronavirus cases this monday. but many experts say the data is unreliable due to a lack of testing in rural areas, where the virus is spreading quickly. a new vaccine developed by french pharmaceutical company -- companies have shown positive results in early-stage political trials. -- clinical trials. beginning june 7, all adults in the country will be eligible. today is being called freedom monday by many people in england. with much of the country easing its coronavirus lockdown rules. most people can now eat and drink indoors, visit friends and relatives outside their homes, and go to the movies, gymnasiums

for the first time in months. but there are new concerns tonight about the spread of a highly contagious variant that was first detected in india. reporter: it is considered almost holy ground. many in the you kc going to the pub with the same sanctity is visiting a church. now they can do both. britain relax the range of coronavirus restrictions on monday. -- britain relaxed a range of coronavirus restrictions on monday, allowing people to go to museums, the theaters, and art galleries again. >> it's been so lovely seeing people. this is a space about people as much as pictures. there have been no people in it for the last 150 days. it's really moving and magical to see that happening. reporter: britain, out and about and in a celebratory mood.

nationally, rates are down. with the lockdown lifted, spirits are high. but there may be potential trouble on the horizon. a coronavirus variant, first detected in india, causing concern in the countries north. -- the country's north. it appears to be more infectious than previous variants. but the prime minister of britain said he was somewhat reassured by the initial data scientists were seen. >> the early laboratory data corroborates the provisional evidence and the initial observational data from india that vaccines are effective against this variant. this of course is reassuring, but the higher transmission poses a real risk. reporter: the government has now warned the next set of rule relaxations set for the 21st of june may have to be delayed. for the time being, people in

britain are just enjoying whatever freedoms they can find, wherever they can find them. brent: more than half of lgbt students in europe have been bullied because of their sexual orientation. advocacy groups warn progress has come to a standstill because of the rise of far political parties in europe. the discrimination faced by lgbt people in other parts of the world is even worse. on this international day against homophobia, we look at the situation of young transgender people in mexico. reporter: today begins life like any other day in her life, by studying. but this is not a regular school. casa de las munecas as a shelter for trans people in mexico city. many are dropouts. they hope this can be the ticket to a brighter future. >> they motivate you to take part in classes.

to graduate. to leave this place stronger. determined to stay out of trouble. reporter: she is no stranger to trouble. she used to battle drug addiction. until she found her way here. she's lived here for nine months, sharing this room. it's one of the few safe places in a country where trans women are shunned. her story is no exception. after her family disowned her, she turned to prostitution to earn money. a life fraught with danger. >> you can earn good money as a prostitute, but it's very dangerous. you can catch std's and die or someone could kill you. reporter: for her, her story is all-too-familiar. she also used to work as a prostitute. one of the few jobs trans woman can get in mexico. the turning point came in 2016, when a friend was murdered.

she cut the crime on tape, but the perpetrator still walked three. since that day, she's made it her mission to fight for women and against violence. >> i've been screaming from the top of my lungs about the violence against trans people in this country. but no one is listening. there's no inclusion. only discrimination. reporter: the pandemic has only made things worse. when the government shut motels, many trans women were left out on the street. >> fortunately, i already had this place. i opened it up to the other women, and together we decorated it. we have also used it to make food for the homeless woman. reporter: donations keep the shelter running. it is located in one of the more diverse and tolerant parts of mexico city, but the threat of

olence alws looms lae. last year, 5trans pele were killed he. the second highest rate in the world. >> most men in mexico feel their masculinity is threatened when they come into contact with geyer trans people. -- gay or trans people. acs as aggressors, as something that's not normal. -- they cs as aggressors, something that's not normal. reporter: here, many feel seen for what they are. people with goals and dreams, surrounded by friends. >> i always say happiness is our greatest revenge. but what i truly want is not revenge, it is a world free of violence, that is free of labels and accepts us despite our differences, as human beings. reporter: for now, it is a dream that feels a world away. but thanks to casa de la

smunecas, there's hope on the horizon. brent: the 64-year-old spent less than two years in the top job and leaves this role after comparing a colleague to an infamous nazi-era judge. he was supposed to be the man to build trust and the feration after several scandals, but that will now be up to his successor. real madrid midfielder toni kroos tested positive for the coronavirus ahead of the final match day of the season for the league. the german international will miss the key game against villa real on saturday. a win could mean a la liga championship. it plays the month and the european championships

-- next month in the european championships. here's a reminder of our top stories -- israel launched heavy bombardment on the gaza. netanyahu's, saying israel's military campaign is continuing at full force. the ambassador to germany for israel told dw news israel will not stop defending at citizens until hamas stops its rocket attacks. nearly 200 palestinians have been killed in the last week, including 58 children. don't forget you can always get dw news on the go, just download our app from google play or the app store, giving you access to all the latest news from around the world as well as push notifications for any breaking news. you can also use the app to send this photos or videos of what's happening. after a short break, i will be back to take you through "the day." tonight, the northern irish were able to do it -- what about the

israelis and palestinians? a methodist minister will join me with lessons on reconciliation. we'll be right back.

host: welcome to live from paris on france 24. these are the worlds headlines. after the deadliest 24 hours in gaza, france and egyptall for end to the violee in the middle east. this is the second week of violence. at least 200 palestinians have been killed in israeli airstrikes, a quarter of them children. we have reaction and analysis from the region coming up. india overwhelmed by covid-19 and bracing for a cyclone.